Percy's Choices
by Bethpjf
Summary: Sequel to Annabeth's Boarding Tale. This tells the story of the second half of the year spent at boarding school from Percy's perspective. Percy will experience guilt with how he treated Rachel and Annabeth last year and promises to make amends. In the process he loses himself but will he be able make things right and find himself again?
1. Chapter 1

**So** after, what like **2 years** of waiting **(SO SORRY BTW)** I have decided to write the sequel. This will be based on the next half of the school year and will be from Percy's perspective.

If you're new to my story, first of all... welcome! Second of all, please read Annabeth's Boarding Tale so that you are updated and understand everything that's gone on!

I'm hoping to update every Wednesday, if not it will be every other.

Without further delay, I present Percy's Choices – Chapter 1- Reflection and Elevation

* * *

After the countdown, everyone seemed a little bit happier. Thankful that one year had ended and that they could have a clean slate for the new one. It was like a weight had been lifted off everyone's shoulders and you could see it in the room, there was more laughter as if the joy were contagious. The bodies swaying on the dance floor were more relaxed. The atmosphere was brighter and better than ever before. On the other hand, this could all just be due to the amount of alcohol being secretly consumed but somehow Percy doubted that. Percy felt like this might just be the best year yet.

He glanced round at his friends who were close by, all of them dancing and laughing. Piper clinging onto Jason as he lifted her up and spun them round, Frank placing his hand on the small of Hazel's back and smiling with a beer in has hand as they laughed at Leo re-telling the story about how nervous he was that Calypso might reject him. His eyes then wandered over to Annabeth who was parting the crowd as she tried to make her through with their drinks in her hand. He had put that girl through hell and back since they met in September but somehow, here they were, together. He gave a lop sided grin as she approached and handed him his drink.

"What's that smile for?" She asked curiously with a grin of her own.

"Nothing… just that I'm glad you're here"

"Well you've got my dad's friend to thank for that, otherwise I'd be sat in a corner reading a book at some grown up party"

"That's not what I meant" he said with a laugh and kissed her on the forehead. Annabeth's expression changed to a puzzled one and just as Percy was about to explain, the song changed to Mr Brightside and before he knew it, him and his friends and subconsciously formed a circle and started shouting the lyrics and jumping up and down to the beat. It was a memory that Percy knew he would remember forever, that feeling of togetherness and happiness that was spread between them. There wasn't another kind of energy like it and Percy doubted they would feel it again.

A few hours later, once the songs had stopped and they were all worn out, Annabeth said that she was feeling sleepy and was going to head off to bed. Percy insisted he walked Annabeth back to her room and she reluctantly let him. They said goodbye to the group and roamed the corridors hand in hand before reaching Annabeth and Piper's room.

"Well this is me" Annabeth announced, as if Percy didn't know which one it was. He thought it was cute. He kissed her softly on the lips and said goodnight. He turned and walked away, after a couple of steps he looked back to check she had gone in, which she had. He smiled to himself and slid down the banister of the stairs rather than taking the steps. He landed on 2 feet and put his arms up as if he had just done a gymnastics routine at the Olympics and was receiving a round of applause. Percy felt his phone vibrating so dug it out of his pocket to see Rachel was calling him. He ducked into the nearest classroom and answered it.

"Rachel? Is everything ok?" His voice was full of concern.

"Percyyyyyyyy, yeahhhhh everythings fineeeeee" She was squealing

"Are you drunk?" He chuckled

"Maybe a little bit… I just wanted to say that I'm ok, you're ok, Annabeth's ok and everybody is ok" It seems that Percy wasn't the only one to have felt a weight lifted off his shoulder when the new year started.

"I'm glad you're ok Rachel. Really I am"

"And…And… And"

"Yes Rachel?" He smirked

"I want you to know I want us to be friends. Like we were once before."

Percy thought about this, friends like they were once before. Before he screwed her over. Before he treated her like she hadn't been his friend. When he could talk to her about anything, when they used to have fun and a laugh. That's why he decided to date her, because they were friends and they did have a connection.

"I can't think of anything I would like more. I'm sorry about how I treated you Rach, you deserved better than that. You deserve better than me"

"That's greattttttt, I've gotta go we're about to do shots and THAT'S MY JAMMMMM, GIRLS COME ON WE HAVE TO GO DANCE!"

Percy took the phone away from his ear and ended the call. He smirked at the thought of Rachel dragging people to go and dance to All the Small Things by blink-182. He swore to himself that he was going to be a friend for her. Whenever she needed, whatever she needed, he would do it to make up for being a crappy boyfriend. It was the least he could do. He was determined to be a better version of himself this year. A better student. A better athlete. A better friend and most importantly a better boyfriend, he couldn't stand the thought of letting Annabeth down.

With that thought in mind, he walked back to his room with more of a spring in his step than ever before.


	2. Chapter 2- Visiting Hours

**Sorry been ill and work has been crazy so not quite the defined chapter I was hoping for but is more to help lead the story on anyway!**

 **The next chapter will be much more detail orientated and have a bit more of a direction!**

 **Hope you enjoy anyway!**

* * *

Percy returned to his room and settled into his bed, thinking about the wonderful night he'd had and what this meant for the year to come.

Percy was just drifting off to sleep when he heard a commotion at the door so Percy stood up and unlocked it to see Jason and Frank standing there with Leo in the middle and his arms wrapped around the back of their necks.

"We helped him get here now he's all yours" Jason said as he unhooked Leo's arm from around his head

"Good luck" Frank said as he did the same and then pushed Leo towards Percy

"Guys, come on you can't do this" Percy argued as he caught Leo and helped him to sit on his bed.

"Too late" Jason shouted as Percy turned his head to watch him and Frank walk off.

Percy sighed as he turned his attention back to Leo and shut their door. "I think tonight was the best night of my life" Leo stated before falling backwards into his bed.

"I'm glad to hear it mate"

"IT WAS JUST SO AMAZING" Leo shouted with enthusiasm

Percy rolled his eyes, got back into his bed and told Leo to go to sleep. A few minutes later and they were both snoring.

* * *

Percy woke up to Leo stumbling around their room and knocking things over, a buzzing sound was going off so Percy assumed Leo was trying to turn it off. Percy grumbled at him and tried to close his eyes and fall back asleep.

"Psssst Percy"

"What Leo?" Percy moaned, his eyes tightly closed

"It's 6AM" Leo whispered

"Yeah so go back to sleep"

"We've got to go meet the others for breakfast? Remember? It's tradition"

Leo threw some clothes over and they landed on Percy's head, he was thrown off balanced and fell into the wardrobe.

Percy hesitantly obliged and stood up and helped Leo get out of the wardrobe and then they both got dressed.

It was still dark out and there were no lights to show the way but Percy and Leo knew this place like the back of their hands so Percy was able to direct them in the right way. It wasn't until they were down at the canteen that Percy realised that Leo had put his top on inside out and that his shoes were on the wrong feet. Percy thought about telling Leo but decided he owed it to the group to let them see him like that. When they reached the canteen doors, they pushed them open to see the canteen was empty apart from the group already sitting around one of the tables chatting away, unlike the boys they had all brought torches. Percy snuck up and wrapped his arms round Annabeth's hips and pulled her backwards so her head rested on the top of his chest. It was natural and easy, like something they'd done a million times before.

Once Leo had come into full view, the chatting stopped and all eyes turned to him.

"Rough night Leo?" Jason asked

"No..." Leo's voice was rough and dry

"Can you even remember anything?" Hazel questioned him with curious eyes

"Ermm... there was dancing and singing and..." Leo's voice trailed off

"Right... well... I'm starving so Percy, can you do the honours" Piper suggested just as her stomach rumbles loudly and she quickly tries to cover it with her hands.

Percy smirked at the noise and headed over to the glass top where the food is usually placed and dished up by the kitchen staff. Percy climbed over it and pulled a small key out of his pocket and unlocked the kitchen door.

"What are you doing?" Annabeth questioned harshly

"It's tradition" He answered back before entering the kitchen.

Percy went through the door and flicked the light switch on and was greeted to the sight of pans, flour and eggs and some maple syrup left out He silently thanked Fiona, the head chef who seemed to have a soft spot for him and his friends which is how he'd managed to persuade her to give him a key in the first place. It was a few years ago that Percy came up with the idea and talked to Fiona about access to the kitchen but it was Leo that had sweet talked her into letting them make pancakes on New Year's Day when the kitchen staff weren't in and to leave the ingredients out. They promised they would clean it up afterwards and never let anyone else in on the secret.

Piper then came through the door.

"I'm the helper this year as Leo will probably destroy the place"

"And you won't?" Percy questioned with a playful smile as he turned the stove on

"We agreed I'm less likely and no one else can put up with Chef Percy... you like to act like Gordan Ramsey or something" she smirked and pulled the bottle of milk out of the fridge and starting mixing all the ingredients in a bowl.

"Ok but that's why my pancakes are the best" he said as he snatches the bowl away and starts mixing it together himself.

"Now look away whilst I add my secret ingredient"

"Come on Percy really?"

"LOOK AWAY"

Piper reluctantly turned around and Percy quickly sprinkled in his secret ingredient. Once the batter was nice and smooth, Percy then poured part of the the batter into the pan and started to cook them.

Piper got some plates out and Percy would flip the pancake before placing it on the plate and then Piper would serve it to the others.

They finally managed to serve up the last of the pancakes and went to eat with the rest of the group. Turns out they'd still been teasing Leo about his behaviour and reminding him of his antics. Percy ensures he got in on the teasing and told everyone how Leo had fallen into the wardrobe.

Once everyone had eaten Percy and Piper returned to the kitchen to clean up.

"We're not a bad team you know" Percy said as he washed a plate and passed it to Piper to dry.

"You didn't go all chef Percy that's why"

"Haha ok well I'll try to rein it in... but only when I'm working with you"

"Deal"

After Percy had put the last pan away, took a quick look around to check it was spotless, Piper and he walked out laughing, he locked the door and rejoined the group. They all talked for a bit longer before Jason looked at the time and told Percy they better get changed and then get going. They'd agreed to go and see Thalia in the hospital and Jason's dad was picking them up at 9... It was now 8:45. Piper and Annabeth had offered to join them but the boys had to decline their offer and say they just wanted to go by themselves.

* * *

Jason had changed into a white t-shirt and a blue pair of jeans and Percy decided to wear a baby blue shirt and black jeans. They waited by the front gates for Jason's father to come and pick them up. Sure enough a minute later a big black Land Rover pulled up with Mr Grace driving and Mrs Grace in the passenger seat. Percy has always thought this car was over rated but didn't dare to mention it to Mr Grace. The boys climbed into the back seats and the car pulled away and headed towards the hospital.

Once there, they walked into Thalia's room to see it looking very similar to when they last visited however there was now a banner saying happy new year and a few different styled balloons. Mr Grace thanked the nurses for being so nice and putting up decorations. Percy watched as he saw Mr Grace slip £20 notes to each Nurse on the ward. Over the years Percy had learnt that despite Mr Grace being known for his reputation of a hard dealing businessman, he was generous when he could be. Other businessmen might have donated money to the hospital but Mr Grace understood that it's the people that work at the hospital that deserve the praise and the reward. That's why Percy beloved he was so successful, he was kind to people even if he did come across as intimidating.

Jason and Percy sat on Thalia's bed and took it in turns to tell her what they'd got up to over Christmas and shared their story of events from last night. Thalia laid there motionless but Percy knew that inside she would be laughing at their stories. Mrs Grace sat in the corner with Mr Grace and they were reading some medical journals, Percy studied their faces for a moment as their eyes scanned the pages. It was as though they were looking for clues, any indications that there was going to be a breakthrough and if they showed it to the drs they may be able to help their daughter.

They spent about an hour chatting away, Jason told Thalia about his fears for the new year and what he hoped to accomplish. Percy did the same and shared a nod with Jason when he admitted he wanted to be there for Rachel. "That's the right thing to do Percy" Mr Grace announced from the back of the room, Percy looked back and shared a smile. Mr Grace had practically become an Uncle to Percy, they had a good understanding but he could never replace his Father.

When they couldn't think of something to say they would just sit there in silence, all of them staring at Thalia as she laid in her bed. They went down to the canteen and ordered lunch but brought it into Thalia's room to eat.

Mr Grace had a tv installed since their last visit so Jason decided they should watch a movie, they managed to put seats either side of Thalia and Jason flicked through the channels before choosing to select the movie How To Train Your Dragon that was currently showing on BBC1.

Once the movie had finished, Mr Grace announced that he should be getting the boys back. They said their goodbye to Thalia and promised to visit again soon. The journey home was a quiet one, no one really sure what to say.

* * *

When they arrived back at the school Percy thanked them for the ride and gave Mr and Mrs Grace a hug, Jason did the same. Once the car had pulled away, they headed inside.

As the boys walked back through the school, Jason asked Percy

"So what you said about Rachel... Does Annabeth know how you feel?"

"No I haven't said anything yet but it shouldn't affect us" Percy replied cooly.

"Just tread lightly around that subject" Jason advised "I don't want either of you getting hurt over nothing"

The boys stopped outside the canteen "You gonna have some dinner?" Jason quizzed

Percy shook his head "Nah I'm just gonna change and hit the pool, get some laps in"

"Ok man" Jason turned to walk in

"Can you tell Annabeth that's what I'm doing and I'll see her tomorrow? I'll probably just head to bed after"

Jason nodded and they went they separate ways, Jason heading for dinner whilst Percy went off to get his speedos and towel.


	3. Chapter 3- Wandering Mind

January 8th – Monday and school had officially begun.

* * *

Percy had been spending time with Annabeth in the library a lot the previous week, trying to get ahead (and by ahead, he meant catch up). There were topics they'd gone over before Christmas that Percy didn't fully understand but had just brushed it off. He knew if he asked Annabeth for help she would in a heartbeat because spending time in the library was one of her favourite hobbies. Percy had a sneaky suspicion that spending time with him in the library was just a bonus.

Annabeth was a great teacher too- she really broke down the atomic structure to a way he understood it. He wondered what career she would decide to pursue in the end, she had a lot of paths she could take. This led to Percy questioning what he would do, was he even sure yet? The answer was no, there was still a lot he needed to explore, and he was yet to find something he wanted to do for the rest of his life.

This was the thought he found himself thinking again on Monday morning as he stared at his history teacher, Mr D, who was stood at the front welcoming them back. He questioned whether this was what Mr D thought he would be doing.

As Percy went to sit down, he felt his chair move from under-him and quickly managed to stand up straight and save himself from the embarrassment of falling on the floor. He turned to see Grover grinning at him from behind the chair "Nearly had ya"

"No chance" Percy replied with a smirk.

Percy and Grover sat down and were talking when Percy noticed Annabeth walk between them and take her seat, his eyes fixed on her body. He was certain that she was swaying her hips a little bit more because she knew he was watching. Annabeth glanced back at him which only confirmed his thoughts. His face was full of amusement and Percy tried to continue his conversation with Grover but Mr D interrupted.

"Ok class settle down, you've had 5 minutes to catch up now"

The classroom slowly fell silent, with the murmurings coming to a halt.

"Thank you. This term we will be exploring Roman History and.."

Percy zoned out as he suddenly realized the seat in front of him was empty, he discreetly raised his head to see if he could spot Luke. Luke was sitting the other side of the classroom, next to people that Percy could have sworn he'd never seen before. Over the Christmas holidays, they had put their differences aside and made amends. Percy decided he no longer wanted to talk to Luke after everything that had happened but one night Percy couldn't sleep and replayed everything that had happened between them. Luke might have been the one to give Percy the drugs but ultimately it was Percy's decision. Luke hadn't deserved Annabeth's attention but then neither did he. Percy should have heard his cousin out when the rumours about him and Talia started rather than listening to gossip. On Christmas day, Percy pulled Luke aside and apologized, they hugged it and agreed to forget about everything and start again. They were family after all. Percy found he was disappointed that Luke had taken it upon himself to move seats in the one class they shared.

"Mr Jackson….Percy"

Percy's eyes fell onto Annabeth's eyes as he escaped his thought, her eyes rolled to where Mr D was stood so he slowly followed the direction and met Mr D's. "Yes Sir?" he asked

"Whilst I appreciate you calling me Sir and not in the disrespectful way you usually do, I'd like you to pay attention to what I'm saying. Think you can do that?"

Percy nodded, a little thrown off as he didn't have an answer. The class stifled a laugh and then Mr D continued and they started reading one of the textbooks and making notes.

* * *

The day trickled by, the only thing getting him through was knowing he would see Annabeth after classes were over. They'd decided to spend some time in the student area, away from the group so they could enjoy each other's company in a more relaxed environment.

When the time came, Percy practically pulled Annabeth away from the group and made her run out of the canteen with him. As they ran through the corridor hand in hand, they had mischievous smiles on their faces and their laughs echoed along the hallway. Just before they approached the student area, he took a quick look around before slowing them down and spinned Annabeth to face him and pushed her up against the wall. Annabeth was caught off guard but beamed at him. He kissed her passionately and she tugged at his hair as he did. He slowly left her lips and planted soft kisses along her cheek and onto her neck which she moaned softly too. He pulled away and offered his hand to her. "What was that about?" She asked with a glint in her eyes that wasn't there before as she slipped her hand into his and they walked into the common room. "I've been wanting to do that since History but thought it was probably better to wait" he teased

"Well it was well worth the wait" Annabeth replied, a little flustered.

As they walked in they noticed there were a few people relaxing and having a laugh with their friends on the sofas. Percy led them towards the back where there were 2 snooker tables next to the air hockey table. They played 3 games of snooker, Annabeth winning everytime. Percy even attempted to throw her off by 'accidentally' (but completely on purpose) flexing his muscles but she didn't even glance his way. "It's in the angles" Annabeth would say whenever Percy questioned how she made a shot.

Everyone else had left now so it was only them in the common room. For the last game they decided to make a bet, if Percy was to win then Annbeth would take a late-night swim with him one night but if Annabeth wins then Percy would have to spend a whole night in the library with her. Percy knew which one he wanted to do more. This time he pulled out all his best moves and started to play properly. Eventually Percy won.

"Wait... there's no way you got that good after a couple of games..."

Percy looked up from re-setting the table, he was trying to look innocent but Annabeth saw right through his act

"You were letting me win all those other games so that when we'd make a bet I'd actually let you suggest something like that under the impression that it would never happen?"

"Yeah pretty much"

"Percy you know how much I hate breaking the rules"

"You didn't seem to mind when you were getting pancakes" Percy chuckled

"That was different" Annabeth tried to defend herself

"No it wasn't and you shouldn't underestimate your opponent. That's tactic number 1!".

He placed his cue stick on the table and walked round to meet Annabeth and gently tried to unwrap her hand that was tightly gripped to her cue stick.

"I want a rematch" she demanded

"I won fair and square" he smiled at her, his hand still lying on top of hers.

She pouted but loosened her grip and let Percy take the cue stick and place it on the table. "Fine, when are we going to do it?"

Percy raised his eyebrows high with an element of surprise on his face, Annabeth immediately realised how Percy took her comment and whacked him on the arm "I meant my punishment for losing the bet"

Percy started laughing "Well not tonight... I've got too many other ideas". He got whacked again.

"I'm kidding... Kinda... I know we're waiting and I totally respect that. I don't want to pressure you or come across like that's always on mind." He gave her a little kiss on the forehead. She smiled at him, a look that he'd learnt to mean that she was grateful.

"Come on its getting near to curfew, let me walk you back to your room".


	4. Chapter 4- Opposites

**Monday the 29** **th** **of January**

* * *

The last 3 weeks had flown by. Percy was getting back on track with his school work and he definitely had Annabeth to thank for that. They'd managed to get a lot of study sessions in and even his teachers had turned around and said they had seen an improvement in his work. If he wasn't studying with Annabeth, then he was swimming and perfecting his strokes and techniques. This was another area that he was improving in, he was performing faster and was looking good for the upcoming county swim competition.

Suddenly, his life was improving in all aspects and he could only pinpoint this to Annabeth, she made him want to be better and that's exactly what he was doing. It wasn't something she'd turned around and demanded for him to do, it was something he'd done because he wanted to; because Annabeth deserved the best. As a result, Percy had stepped up and was becoming a better version of himself and he liked that guy.

Percy decided to thank Annabeth, he would treat her to a trip to the cinema. He ran the idea by Leo first to make sure it didn't sound lame.

"Are you serious?" Leo questioned, Percy had no idea if Leo was being serious or not

"Yeah, look do you think it's a good idea or not?"

Leo just stared at him before bursting out into a fit of laughter. "You're asking her to the cinema not to be your wife. Why would you need my opinion on this?" Leo continued to laugh at Percy

"… I honestly don't know but I won't be asking for it again"

Percy went to walk out their room, "Hang on… can I ask a favour?

* * *

 **Tuesday 30th**

* * *

After a long day of classes, Percy and Annabeth headed straight to the library. As they were packing their books up Percy decided to ask

"Annabeth, what are you doing tomorrow evening?" he asked gently, his words were soft and innocent

"Nothing, you want to do another session?"

Percy placed his hands in front pockets and rocked forwards and backwards on his heel. "Actually, I thought maybe we could do something a little different… maybe go to the cinema?"

Annabeth looked up and met his eyes. She seemed to study him for a minute, as if he had a secret agenda to this plan.

"It's my treat. I've already cleared it and we have Coach Hedge chaperoning" he walked round the table and took her hands into his and gently rubbed his thumb over the back of her hands "It's just something to say a little thank you to you. For helping me with studying".

Annabeth smiled at him "Of course I'd love to go with you, but you don't have to pay for my ticket or use it as a thank you. You know I'd help you with anything".

"I know I don't have to" He looked at her face for a minute before kissing her forehead "You're amazing you know that?"

She blushed and then whispered, "Come on let's go eat" and lead him out of the library.

* * *

 **Wednesday 31st**

* * *

"So why are they coming too?" Annabeth whispered as her and Percy walked down the corridor and the set of stairs near her room. Percy had just knocked on her door, so they could walk to the front of the school together to meet Coach Hedge, Leo and Calypso.

"Leo just he needed a favour and asked if they could come too. Has he said anything to you about any troubles with him and Calypso?"

"No nothing..." Annabeth thought about this for a second and then changed her tone "...but then he hasn't been going on about it like I expected him to"

"What do you mean?" Percy asked for clarification

"Well I thought he'd boast about it more or brag about their latest date"

Percy held a door open for Annabeth and reflected his living situation with Leo, between classes, study sessions and swimming the only time he really saw Leo was when they were eating. He realized that he had no idea when Leo saw Calypso as he noticed she'd not joined them for lunch since school had started again but figured it wasn't something to worry about. Annabeth was right though, Leo would have been bragging about his latest date. He made a mental note to check in with Leo later tonight to see if everything was ok.

"Penny for your thoughts?" Annabeth asked as she slipped her hand into Percy's and looked up at him.

"Just thinking I need to check in with Leo later, make sure everything is ok" he smiled at her and squeezed her hand a little.

They reached the front of the school to see Leo and Calypso already there. They were stood a couple of steps away from each other which Percy noted as a little odd but didn't think much of it.

"Hey guys" he shouted over to them as he and Annabeth walked down the steps still hand in hand. Calypso did a little wave where as Leo just smiled. Coach Hedge then pulled up and they all awkwardly shuffled towards the car. Leo insisted sitting in the front leaving Percy to take a window seat, Annabeth in the middle and Calypso had the other side. Annabeth and Calypso were chatting away, but Percy blocked it out and just stared out the window. He'd placed his hand onto Annabeth's knee and would give it a gentle squeeze every now and again. As they neared, they had a debate about what to go and see, Leo wanting to go and see the latest Insidious whereas Calypso wanted to watch Molly's game. Percy and Annabeth sat there silently whilst those 2 had a little argument about it until they stopped arguing and went silent instead. There was still no decision, so Annabeth suggested they go and see the final movie of the Maze Runner franchise. Leo grunted whilst Calypso nodded and said it was a good compromise.

Once they arrived they boys went and brought the tickets whilst the girls decided what nibbles they'd take in. Coach Hedge was unsure who to follow but ultimately decided he needed a ticket too and had to make sure that they weren't buying tickets for a different screening (something Percy definitely hadn't attempted before…).

After buying the tickets and paying for the snacks, they went and found their seats and got comfy. They had tickets for the middle row but the last 4 available were at the aisle end which Percy didn't mind. Therefore, Percy took the aisle seat, Annabeth was next to him then Calypso with Leo sitting at the end of their 4 seats. Coach Hedge was a few rows behind, enough to give them some privacy but still close enough to keep an eye on them. As they settled into their seats, Percy put his arm round Annabeth and pulled her in tight to his chest, she giggled until she realized he was only doing this so that his spare hand could reach over and grab the popcorn and move it onto his seat. As she untucked herself from his grasp, he grabbed a fistful and put in his mouth. He smiled at her and she just rolled her eyes. Percy looked over to see that Leo and Calypso were sitting there on their phones, not talking to each other. Suddenly there was a group of girls standing by Percy, he noticed they looked about their age and there were 4 of them, they were looking down at the seat numbers when the girl closest to Percy pointed at the seats next to Leo.

"Sorry, we're the seats over could we just slip through" she asked, Percy looked up and noticed her blonde hair before it dawned on him that he was just looking at her and not speaking.

Percy only now realizing that he'd sprawled out and only half sat on the seat apologized "Yeah of course, sorry". He stood up to let them pass, as did the others. Percy clocked that Leo was looking at the group of girls with his renowned mischievous smile and the blonde one leading the way sat down almost immediately on the seat next to him as if she was calling dibs. Calypso had turned her head to face Leo as they sat down so Percy wasn't sure what look she was giving Leo but from his reaction it was an accusing one. He also suspected this because Annabeth was giving him the same one. Her face was sturdy and looking at him with raised eyebrows demanding an explanation. He leant over to her and whispered, "Would you believe me if I said that I was generally zoned out?" Annabeth stayed silent. "You've got me in some kind of spell that I can't break, I couldn't look at another girl like that if I tried. Nobody comes close to you Wise Girl". Annabeth smiled at being called Wise Girl, so he knew he'd won her over and gave her a little peck on the check and playfully popped a piece of popcorn into her mouth before placing one in his too.

The lights went dark and the adverts and trailers started to play. As the film played, Percy would often change his seating position, sometimes leaning into Annabeth, sometimes Annabeth was leaning into him. For most of the film they just sat with their bodies slightly facing each other and one of their hands placed on the other one's knee. He felt comfortable. When he'd take a quick glance over at Leo and Calypso though, it was the complete opposite. They looked awkward and were just staring straight at the screen. They were acting like strangers. Percy noticed that Leo was actually touching shoulders with the blonde that had sat next to him rather than any connection with Calypso. He shook the thought away and continued to watch the film.

As the film ended, the lights came back on and they all sat still for a moment. Annabeth then started to discuss the film and the books and comparing the two because somehow, she had managed to read the books even with the amount of reading she does for school. Calypso engaged in the conversation, but Leo stayed silent. Even as they walked out and headed back to the car, Leo walked at the back and trudged along.

When they got back, Percy walked Annabeth back to her room and gave her a kiss goodnight. "What do you think is going on with Leo and Calypso?" Annabeth asked once their kiss had ended and she'd unlocked her door.

"I've got no idea, they were so awkward. Maybe it was just nerves" Percy suggested but he didn't sound convinced

"I'm not sure that's it" Annabeth replied

"Well I'll ask him when I get back and find out"

"Ok. Thank you again for tonight, I had a really good time" Annabeth smiled

Percy's stomach flipped. He loved hearing her compliment him, whether it was about him personally or his actions. It made him incredibly happy. He beamed at her "Me too, we'll have to do it again sometime".

She smirked at him "Night Percy".

"Good night Annabeth, I'll see you tomorrow"

With that, she shut the door and he headed downstairs wondering how he was going to approach the subject of Leo's relationship with Leo and whether he really should.


	5. Chapter 5- Reconcile

**Firstly, I apolgise for the 2 year hiatus...again...**

 **With the lockdown, I've finally been given the time to carry on with this story so lets see where it will take us.**

* * *

Percy entered his room to find Leo sitting on the edge of his bed with his hands in his head. "Everything ok mate?" Percy asked as he pushed the door to a close, he walked over to his own bed and sat on the edge so he could take his shoes off. He glanced over at Leo who still had his head in his hands. "Whatever it is, I'll do my best to help".

Leo lifted his head up, his eyes meeting Percy's "Me and Cal…it's just not working"

Confused, Percy replied "It's only been a couple of weeks since you started dating"

"Yeah so we should be good right? It shouldn't be so awkward between us. I mean I've only got to look at you and Annabeth to know that" Leo's head returned to his hands.

Leo actually had a point. Things should be light and fun between the two of them, they shouldn't be able to keep their hands off each other but Percy could clearly see otherwise.

"So what are you going to do?"

Leo spread his fingers on his face, his voice sounding muffled and stressed

"I have no idea. I thought going out tonight as a double date might help things but it didn't"

"Well it didn't really help when those girls turned up"

"Right? I couldn't stop myself from looking either, even when I know Cal is 10x prettier than them"

"You were crazy about her... what happened?" Percy questioned with his eyebrows raised.

Leo took his hands away, "I don't know, I guess we just found out we don't really have that much in common"

Percy watched Leo, he could see how worried he was and wanted to reassure him. "Want my advice?"

Leo nodded. Percy stood up and walked towards Leo and spoke in a gentle tone "Don't give up just yet. I think you're putting too much pressure on yourself and overthinking"

"Maybe you're right"

Percy slapped Leo on the back "Course I am" he smirked "And don't compare your relationship to mine and Annabeth's either, it takes time and trust" Percy's phone pinged so he discreetly slid it out of his pocket enough to see that it was a message from Rachel ".. and we're still working on that too…." Percy slipped his phone back into his pocket and walked back to his side of the room.

Leo nodded "Maybe I am overthinking, I really like her and I don't want to screw it up"

"Just be yourself and don't give flirty eyes to other girls"

"You're right, I'll have chat with Calypso in the morning." Leo got into bed and within a few minutes, Percy knew he'd fallen asleep.

Percy got dressed and slid into his own bed, staring at his phone. He unlocked it and looked at the message from Rachel _I miss you x_

He decided not to reply and went to sleep.

* * *

Thursday flew by and before he knew it, Percy was in his bed on Friday night.

Percy still hadn't replied to Rachel. He wasn't sure what to say. He had read it and re-read it. _I miss you_. Why were these 3 words making him overthink so much? Eventually he decided to just reply with _I miss you too x_

Percy stared at the ceiling as he waited for her reply, thinking about the memories they had shared. Of course he missed her, the group wasn't the same without the fiery red head but he wasn't sure if he'd admit that to anyone else.

His phone went off and he looked at the message _I'm glad we're still friends x_ His response was quicker this time, _Me too, it's not the same without you here x_ They exchanged a few more texts where they reminisced about old times before Percy fell asleep without sending his last message.

When Percy woke up, he found his phone in his bed, confused, he unlocked it to see he hadn't replied to Rachel. He quickly hit send and plugged it into charge. Percy looked across the room to see that Leo was no longer in his bed and decided he must have gone to see Calypso. Leo had told Percy that he apologised for his behaviour at the cinema and they'd made up and now everything was fine. He laid in bed, trying to decide how he was going to spend his day. Endless thoughts circled in his head, why did Leo suddenly look at other girls now he was with the girl of his dreams? Would he end up doing that to Annabeth? He'd adored Rachel and couldn't see himself with anyone else until Annabeth showed up. He shook away those thoughts and tried to come up with a plan for the day.

Percy decided to go for a swim to try and clear his head. He always felt better when he was swimming, it's like it washed away all his negative thoughts. He reached the end of his length and decided to sit at the edge and take a quick break. The door opened and Calypso walked in. She didn't say anything but went and sat straight next to Percy and took her shoes off and rolled her jeans up so she could dip her legs in the water beside him.

"That's not what the pool is for you know" Percy said when he looked at her

"I know" she replied as she put her hands in and moved them around to create little waves. Percy wasn't really sure what to say to that so ended up saying "Oh ok"

"Do you know what's going on with Leo?" Calypso asked "We've been seeing each other for a month but he's different to how we were before"

Percy took a moment to to think before responding "I think he's just terrified he's going to mess things up. You're the first girl I've seen him really care for in such a long time and I think he's worried he's going to ruin it somehow"

"He realises how much I care for him too right?"

"Honestly I think that scares him even more" Percy said with a chuckle

"You seem like a nice guy Percy" Calypso said glancing up at him. His eyes met hers and for the first time he really appreciated her features. Her dark eyes were enticing, the few freckles splashed across her face and her caramel hair pulled to one side, there was no doubt about it, Calypso was beautiful.

"Yeah I get told that a lot" he smirked

"Oh and modest too I see" she said with a smile. Percy smiled too "I try to be"

A comfortable silence settled between them and he realised he was still looking at her. He thought back to when they were in the black room for Leo's birthday and played spin the bottle. She was a good kisser. He suddenly felt very honoured that he'd been lucky enough to have kissed her.

"You're really easy to talk to too... I can see why girls get their hearts broken by you"

His smile faded, that wasn't what he wanted to do or be known for. Her eyes seemed to study him, trying to work out what he was thinking about but Calypso's eyes flickered back to the water and as her hand swirled around in the pool she quickly cupped them and splashed Percy.

"Hey" he said as the water landed on him, knocking him out of the trance he was in. He quickly splashed her back and then got up and ran to the other side of the pool and dived in before she could get him back. As he rose to the water, she shouted "Cheater" and he couldn't help but laugh.

"You're welcome to actually get in if you dare"

"No I should probably get going but thanks for the talk Percy" she rose to her feet and started to make her way to the door.

"No problem" he shouted to her and saluted. Why did he salute her? She gave him a wave and left. He looked around and realised he was alone again. He did a couple more laps of the pool before he climbed out and headed towards the showers.

Whilst he dried off from his shower and got dressed, he looked at his phone to see no new messages from Rachel. He opened his last text to her and saw that she hadn't read it. He was a little disappointed not to have received a reply but tried not to think too much of it. He grabbed his stuff and shoved it into his bag before slinging it over his shoulder and walked out.

He still had his phone in one hand and was using a smaller towel to dry off his hair with the other as he was walking down the corridor. "I was just about to come and find you" A familiar voice shouted, he looked up and saw the blonde curls of Annabeth bouncing towards him. God she was gorgeous. She never seemed to believe it though which upset Percy because whenever she caught him staring at her, she always thought something was wrong like she had something on her face or food stuck in her teeth and would get all self conscious. He couldn't understand how she didn't see how beautiful she was or how no guys had paid any attention to her before she moved here. He smiled at her before lowering his head to give her a kiss. "Oh yeah, what for?" He said when they parted and Annabeth naturally started walking on his left side.

"I wanted to spend some time with you silly"

"Well my schedule is pretty busy today but I'm sure I can move some things around for you" he gave his signature troublemaker smile.

"Next time I'll call ahead"

He looked down at her and smiled "That would be great" his hand brushed against hers slightly before his fingers curled round hers and they walked hand in hand down the corridor.


	6. Chapter 6-Game Night

They walked to Percy's room so he could drop off his stuff. Percy dumped his bag on the floor and was about to ask Annabeth what she wanted to do when she closed the door then leant against it. Her eyes looked playful.

He stood there looking at her with her eyebrows raised "So Miss Chase, this is why you wanted to find me?" He slowly walked towards her "A make out session? On a lovely sunny Saturday afternoon" he was opposite her now and he softly grazed her neck with his lips "I feel so used" and in between each word he spoke, he planted light kisses until he reached directly under her chin. He stopped to look at her and could see the sparkle in her eye. He was about to kiss her lips when she pushed him backwards, not hard but enough to make him stumble a few steps. He looked at her confused but she just approached him and did it again but only this time he fell onto the bed. Then she did something that he wasn't expecting, she straddled him. She leant forward and whispered in his ear "You'll have other sunny Saturday afternoons you can enjoy" and as she lifted her head up, she flipped her hair to one side and then crushed her lips onto his. He pulled her closer and wrapped his arms around her as he deepened the kiss. There was no doubt in his mind, Annabeth Chase was the sexiest girl alive. He felt her mouth open slightly so positioned his tongue to meet hers. He then adjusted his position by making them roll over so she was laying on the bed and he was on top of her. Their lips parted for a second but soon found their way back to one another. He guided one of her hands to his chest whilst the other hand firmly gripped his hair. He was about to take his top off when he heard the door open.

"Oh my" the door then shut and he climbed off Annabeth and sat beside her

"You can come back in Piper" Annabeth shouted. She adjusted her hair before putting her hand over to Percy's hair and tried to make it look less messy. Piper walked back in just as Percy's hand took Annabeth's hand from his head and kissed it. "Guess this makes us even huh?" She said looking at Annabeth with a smug face, Jason followed behind and looked at Percy and nodded at him before adding "Nice".

"Is there a reason you interrupted or can I go back to making out with my super hot girlfriend?" Percy asked knowing it was going to make Annabeth blush. He looked over at her and sure enough her cheeks went as red as a tomato, she slapped him on the chest "Percy" she said in that high squeal tone that he'd come to recognise as the one she used when she secretly loved the compliment but would never admit to it.

"Wanted to see if you two were up for a little game?" Piper questioned

"What kind of game?" Annabeth asked.

Jason and Piper shared a look "We were thinking either truth or dare or never have I ever" Jason answered

"Wait just us 4 or as a group?" Percy questioned

"Well how about as a group because it's been forever since we've all hung out? We can do a double date next time?" Piper replied

"That sounds good to me" Annabeth responded

Percy thought about it, the group reunited in the common room playing one of the games. It would be nice for them to do something and try and get them back to the close knitted group they were before Christmas...before they all become couples... before Rachel had left.

"Truth or Dare would be better with a bigger group but I'm not doing it without alcohol" Percy said

Jason and Piper looked at each other again. Percy hated when they did this. Their own 2 second conversations going on silently between them. Percy would just stare at them with no clue what they could possibly have agreed on so quickly.

"We were hoping you'd say that" Jason smirked.

He should have known he'd walked into a trap. Being here as long as he had meant he'd made friends with people a few years older than him. That meant he had connections to the guys that could get hold of alcohol and they'd always do it because it was for him. Percy had tried to get Piper to ask some of the older girls seeing as she'd been here as long as him but she'd always say there were no girls willing to do it. Leo was a hopeless case as people seemed to find him annoying, Percy had always thought people just never understood his sense of humour. This meant that it was always up to Percy to get hold of the alcohol.

He rolled his eyes "Should have seen that coming" he laughed and kissed Annabeth's hand. He stood up and announced "I'll see what I can do" and set off to go and ask his contact.

* * *

Couple of hours later, Percy found himself in the common room. He was playing snooker against Frank, who was circling the table trying to figure out his next shot.

Frank had asked him for a game and Percy happily obliged, he didn't have any other plans. After their make out session had been interrupted, Annabeth decided to go to the library and read for a bit. Percy knew it was her favourite place but he had a sneaking suspicion that she also needed to cool off after all that kissing, Percy certainly did and the task of getting someone to buy them alcohol for the evening wasn't enough to distract him.

His phone started vibrating and he reached for his phone and answered the call "Did you get it ok?" He asked

"Piece of cake" the voice replied "Now where are ya?"

"Common room"

"Great be there in 2 mins"

The call ended. Frank looked up at him and smiled before he pulled back his cue and plunged it forward to hit the white ball which spun and bounced into the next ball and hit the side. Fortunately for Percy, none of the balls went into the pockets but it did line up his next shot quite well.

The door to the patios opened and a guy with jet black shaggy hair stepped inside. He turned around so Percy could see his pointy nose and scrunched-up features, he held up a carrier bag and as he did the sound of glass bottles clinked. "Percy you owe me big time for this one man" the guy said as he placed the bag on the sofa.

"I sure do Michael" and Percy walked over and clapped him on the back. When they parted, Percy reached into his pocket and handed over some cash.

"You ever gonna teach me your tricks?" Percy questioned

"When you're old enough, the knowledge will get passed on to you" Michael smirked "What you need it for? You having another party?"

"No we're keeping it simple tonight, game of truth or dare, you want to join?" Percy secretly prayed Michael said no as he wasn't sure how the others would react to Michael being there.

"No chance" Michael scoffed much to Percys relief "Nothing good ever comes from that game" and with that Michael left. Percy grabbed the bag and quickly hid it in the cupboard in the far corner in the blackroom.

"Well he seems nice" Frank stated as Percy stepped out and joined hmmby the side of the snooker table.

"He gets what we want and usually doesn't ask too many questions, what more do you want from the guy" Percy shrugged "Now are we finishing this game or what?"

* * *

At dinner they'd agreed to meet in the common room at 20:30 as it gave them (and by them, it means the girls) enough time to get glammed up and ready after eating. Percy wasn't sure what the big deal was but went along with it anyway, so he decided to have another shower because he was sure he still smelt of chlorine. When he returned to his room he found Leo staring at his reflection in the mirror and a dozen tops laid out on his bed.

"Which one do you think I should wear?" Leo asked as soon as he spotted Percy

"Why are you making a big deal out of this?" Percy questioned and collapsed onto his bed.

"I've got to look good for Calypso. I read that if you stop dressing like you're trying to impress them then they think you've lost interest" he said as he picked up his dark green shirt

Percy sighed and pointed at one of the tops laid out on his bed, "The black shirt" he knew it was Leo's favourite top "and that's not true, it just means you're comfortable enough around them to stop worrying about trying to impress them"

Percy reached for his favourite pastel blue colour block baseball top with black sleeves. He wore it with some black jeans. Percy also knew this was one of Annabeth's favourite tops. He kept his hair untidy and swept to the side.

Eventually it reached 20:30 so Percy and Leo walked down to the canteen, stole some plastic cups and snuck off to the blackroom. They were greeted by the rest of the group who were already sitting down in a circle ready to play.

Percy grabbed the alcohol to see there was vodka and rum and then 2 bottles of lemonade and coke for them to mix with. He put them on the empty bench closest to them so people could get up and help themselves. He poured rum and coke into a glass and handed it to Annabeth and then poured himself some vodka and lemonade. He went to sit next to Annabeth when he realised there wasn't any space and for some reason they'd been divided into girls on one side of the circle and boys the other.

The rules were simple, you had to take a sip after every go, not just your own, everyone's. If you were involved in someone else's truth or dare and after your own go then you had to have 2 sips.

Leo also decided that whatever you choose, it had to be the opposite next time. He said it stopped people from avoiding one or the other which seemed fair.

The rounds went a little something like this:

Round 1-

Jason- Dare- Gave himself a mohawk

Frank- Dare- Laid on the floor and acted like a piece of frying bacon.

Hazel- Truth- If you could suddenly become invisible, what would you do?

 _Pull a few pranks, make people believe in ghosts, set some untimely sprinklers off, that kind of thing._

Piper- Truth- If you had to make out with any Disney character, who would it be?

 _Easy, Flynn Rider_

Annabeth- Dare- Had to wear her jeans backwards for the rest of the game

Calypso- Truth- If you had to date someone here, who wasn't Leo, who would you pick?

 _She hesitated for about 3 seconds before picking Percy_

Leo- Dare- Remove Pipers socks with your teeth.

Percy- Truth- What is your biggest regret?

 _The way he treated Rachel and Annabeth last year._

Percy felt his phone vibrate and as he gets up to refill his cup, he sneaks a quick look, enough to see its from Rachel but he decided he didn't have enough time to see what it said so swiped across to clear it off his home screen and slipped it back into his pocket. He asked if Annabeth wanted a refill and as he handed her a new cup, he kissed her on the cheek and sat back down ready for the next round.

Round 2

Jason- Truth- If we formed a boy band, who here would make the best lead singer?

 _Frank would be the singer, Leo on the drums and Jason and Percy in guitars. They'd be called Reckless Immortals_

Frank- Truth- If you could swap Jason for another roommate would you?

Yes, Jason snores too loudly and he's messy.

Hazel- Dare- Text a random contact from Franks phone

She chose a contact named Jacob and wrote a text saying _Hey dude, lets grab a pizza sometime-_ Percy would have preffered somethi funnier bu Hazel was too nice.

Piper- Dare- Had to fill her mouth with water, and each person in the group must tell the funniest joke they know. If she spat out any water, she'd have to do 3 shots of combined vodka and rum.

Fortunately for Piper, Annabeth and Calypso weren't very funny but after that she lost to every single person.

Annabeth- Truth- If you could change one thing about yourself, what would it be?

 _She admitted she'd been told her biggest flaw was her pride, she thinks she can do things better than everyone else and won't admit when she's wrong (Percy knew that part was true) so decided that she'd want to change that._

Calypso- Dare- Try and seduce one of the girls

Percy found it a bit strange that she chose Annabeth

Leo- dare- had to sniff everyone's armpits

Then it was Percy's turn for a dare and he had a horrible feeling about it. Piper dared him to let Annabeth read out the last text he'd received. Shit. His last text was from Rachel. He didn't think it would be anything bad but he knew it wouldn't look good. He couldn't refuse the dare either because that would look seriously bad.

He nodded and smirked like he had nothing to worry about whilst his stomach was turning over and over again making him feel sick.

He handed his phone over to Annabeth who unlocked it and he watched her click on his inbox. Her eyes quickly glanced up and met his before promptly returning to the screen. Shit was about to hit the fan.

"His last message is from his Mum" she announced, her eyes still focused on the screen "It says, hope you're keeping out of trouble and not harassing Annabeth!"

Technically, if you excluded Rachel's message that was the last text he'd received. Percy heard a couple of aww's but he was focused on Annabeth who simply locked the screen and passed the phone back to him. As he leant forward to reach for it, her eyes met his again and he could see the disappointment in her eyes, she wasn't angry or upset like he'd expected her to be, just deflated. He studied her eyes for a second longer before taking his phone and shoving it in his pocket. She'd seen that his last message was from Rachel, he was sure of it but he wasn't sure why she didn't read it out to the group. He was silently grateful because he wasn't ready for the grilling or the 100 questions he'd get from them but it made him feel guilty like he had something to hide when he didn't. He'd been messaging an old friend, there was no harm in that. All he knew was that he had an uneasy feeling in the pit of his stomach and that he needed to talk to Annabeth about it. She produced a small smile and that felt like a dagger to the heart. She'd seen the text. He could see the hurt she was trying to hide in that small smile he wasn't sure if anyone else noticed but they didn't need to, he'd noticed and that was enough torture.

The game continued but Percy didn't take much notice about what was going on, Jason had to make up a poem for Piper, Frank had to do a striptease for the girls, Hazel discussed some embarrassing story and Piper had to share a secret. Then it was Annabeth's turn, it was time for a dare. That's when his ears picked up and he paid attention to the game again. Piper thought of this one as well "Don't look or talk to Percy for the rest of the game". The others all ooh'd and laughed like it was going to be hard but he sensed how Annabeth was feeling, this would be the easiest challenge ever given to her. He wanted this game to be over quickly, he needed to talk to her. He suddenly became aware of all the eyes on him and realised he needed to kick up a little fuss so it didn't look like they were having a secret fight. "I'll get you back for that Piper" he smirked. He tried to look at Annabeth but she kept her eyes focused on the floor, whether that was part of the game or whether she really didn't want to look at him he wasn't sure. Calypso went next and she had to reveal a regret, she hesitated at first before saying she regretted not taking Leo seriously. Leo had to admit the last thing he searched for on his phone, he rolled his eyes and said it was how to make it up to your girlfriend. He winced like he was expecting a slap, he slowly opened his eye to see Calypso just staring at him before she gave him a small kiss on the check "You doofus" and they all laughed.

Percy's turn meant he had to answer a question, everyone looked at each other trying to think of a question. Percy's eyes were fixed on Annabeth hoping she'd give him a sign to say that they could sort this out but then Calypso spoke.

"What do you miss most about Rachel?" She asked as innocently as she could. The room fell silent.

"I don't think that's a fair question" Jason answered

"Well they were friends right? You telling me none of you miss Rachel?" Calypso questioned. An awkward tension filled the air, he could tell that some people were thinking about what they missed where as others felt bad because they didn't really miss her.

"Her laugh" Percy announced "It was contagious. One of my favourite things to do was to try and make her laugh".

Annabeth got up and walked towards the door, Percy quickly got to his feet and ran after her.


	7. Chapter 7- Lovers Quarrel

**GIVEN THE NEWS TODAY I DECIDED IT WAS THE PERFECT WAY TO CELEBRATE!**

 **I AM SO EXCITED ABOUT A PERCY JACKSON TV SERIES...AHHHH!**

 **Remeber this day kids! 14/05/2020- From now on dubbed the Percy Jackson day.**

 **Anyway... here's the chapter.**

* * *

Percy caught up with Annabeth, just as she neared the doors that led out to the patio. He quickly squeezed past her and blocked her path. He didn't dare to meet her eyes yet as he wasn't sure he was ready to know how she was feeling, whether she was hurt or pissed off. Instead he opened the door because he'd looked around at the nearly full common room and decided he didn't want to do this here, he wanted to do it somewhere a little more private.

Annabeth stepped outside and as soon as she did, Percy quickly followed behind and shut the door. Annabeth didn't wait and was already a few steps ahead but they both knew where they were going.

They reached the groups usual table and bench and Annabeth slid into the seat first with Percy opting to sit opposite her. Percy was watching Annabeth, he was a nervous wreck with his stomach doing constant summersaults waiting for her to say something or even yell at him but she simply turned her head and stared off into the woods.

Great Percy thought, that meant he had to be the one to speak first. He studied her and thought about what to say, he could ask her why she was so upset? No, he quickly decided. That might make her mood worse for him not knowing the reason why or there was the chance that she wasn't even upset in the first place then she'd be furious that he even suggested she was upset. Maybe he could just apologise? He shook his head, no that wouldn't work. He wasn't even sure what he was apologising for. Sure Percy had been texting Rachel and hadn't told Annabeth but Rachel was an old friend, he didn't see the need to. She can't be mad at his answer to the question... can she? He'd only told the truth when he got asked what he missed about Rachel, which was the point of the game, to tell the truth. No, he wasn't going to apologise but before he could really think through the best approach, his lips started moving and words started spilling out. "Are we going to talk about this?"

Annabeth turned her head and he met those grey stormy eyes that he usually adored. Her face showed no kind of emotion, no indication of how she felt and that terrified him. "What's there to talk about? You've been texting your ex and didn't feel the need to tell me?"

It was a trap. He knew he was going to fail it. His excuse of Rachel only being a friend and that's why he didn't tell her was not going to pass. He tried to sound confident but his voice wavered. "What makes you think it wasn't a one off text?" Percy almost immediately regretted his answer. He knew the reason he thought of wasn't going to pass but that response had almost certainly got him sentenced to hell. That was probably the worst thing he could have said, now he looked like he was trying to squirm his way out of it and that wasn't something Percy wanted to do.

"Have you even read the message?" Annabeth questioned with her eyes narrowed. Annabeth knew it wasn't just a one off text and Percy knew that too. Percy felt terrible that he even tried to make out like the situation was something different. Percy shook his head and Annabeth responded by rolling her eyes. Percy pulled his phone out of his pocket and opened his conversation with Rachel. He placed his phone on the table as if to prove he had nothing to hide. He read her latest message

 _Haha I'm so glad we're talking again :) You've even inspired a painting!_

Yup, Percy had dug a massive hole straight to hell that he was never getting out of. The message had been received after a photo so he scrolled up slightly and clicked on the image. It was a painting of a dam but as Percy examined it closer, he recognised the massive concrete arch and four reinforced-concrete intake towers located above the dam. It was Hoover Dam, the one Rachel, Grover, Thalia and himself had visited. Percy tried to hide the smile he could feel creeping along his face as he thought of the fun they'd had. He turned the phone round to Annabeth as his message had been left unread so he figured she hadn't seen the image and only the preview of the text that appeared on the message inbox when he had handed his phone over to Annabeth during the game. He watched as her eyes gazed on the screen before looking out at the woods. He took that to mean she'd seen the photo and was waiting for him to say something so he placed his phone on the table again.

"Ok yes I have been texting Rachel but I didn't tell you about it because she's just a friend so it doesn't mean anything" he said it a little more forcefully than intended and he wasn't sure who he was trying to convince. Annabeth's eyes met his "So you would have been fine if I had read that text out instead of your mums?" He gulped. The message itself was pretty harmless but he wasn't sure the others would feel the same way. Annabeth scoffed and they fell into a silence and Percy was trying to think of ways to make it right when Annabeth interrupted his thoughts.

"Do you miss her?" She asked but it felt more like she was challenging him and when their eyes met, the look in her eyes told him she needed the truth.

"Yes I do"

Annabeth didn't really react other than her eyes moving side to side and Percy knew she was analysing him, trying to decipher why he had said that.

"I'm not going to lie to you Annabeth. Of course I miss her. I spent a lot of time with Rachel and I miss having her around" Percy admitted

"And you miss making her laugh" she uttered, he wasnt sure if it was a statement or a question.

"That's not fair, I got asked a question and I had to pick something" Percy was outraged that she used that against him.

"How would you feel if you'd just found out I'd been texting Luke?" She said it so coldly and cooly that Percy wondered whether she had been texting Luke or maybe that the thought had crossed her mind.

"That's different, he's still at this school"

"And I miss making him laugh"

"I.." he stuttered. Annabeth was right. Of course she was right, when was she wrong? Percy would be livid if he found out they were speaking again, friends or otherwise. He'd also made a promise to himself that he would be better this year, to both Rachel and Annabeth and so far he wasn't keeping to one side of that promise.

He sighed and got up out of his seat and walked around and sat next to Annabeth. He sat with 1 leg either side of the bench as if he was riding a horse and faced Annabeth, who was keeping her eyes firmly on where he had just been sitting. "I said in that stupid game that I regretted how I treated you and Rachel last year. So I promised myself that I was going to be better this year, to be a great boyfriend to you but also be a supportive friend for Rachel to at least try and make up for what went down last year" Percy admitted. He took a deep breath and reached for her hands, she let him take them. "I don't want to hurt you Annabeth and I realise now I should have told you that I was texting Rachel and I am sorry for that"

Annabeth took a second before answering, her voice was softer than earlier, like she was close to giving up. "Trust, Percy. That was what broke down between you and Rachel. You were pissed off that she didn't tell you about her possibly moving to another school and now you're breaking our trust for her"

He used his thumb to rub the back of her hand, creating small circles on her delicate skin.

"I'm sorry I broke your trust, that was never my intention. What can I do to make this up to you?" He asked sincerely

"I don't want to be one of those possessive or green eyed monster girlfriends... I just want you to feel like you can tell me these things without it turning into a huge deal"

"So if I'd told you I was speaking to Rachel you would have been cool with it?" He winced, expecting an attack.

"Don't get me wrong, I wouldn't have exactly been thrilled but she was a part of your life before I was...I'm not going to ask you to stop being her friend" Annabeth answered earnestly.

Percy could tell that she meant that and he appreciated it. Percy nodded and it dawned on him how lucky he was, he wasn't sure whether he'd have the same strength and trust if things were the other way round. He thought about how things had played out last year and how at the pool party he desperately wanted to kiss her. That he'd wanted Annabeth by his side and not Rachel when he was in the nurses room. At the Halloween party, he felt an ache in his heart when he saw her stumbling around by herself, she looked like she'd had a little cry but to this day she still denies it, says it was alcohol sweat. Then he remembered the last time they were in the black room, it was for Leo's birthday. Leo had decided to play spin the bottle. Percy ended up kissing Leo on the cheek and sharing a peck on the lips and a 'real kiss' as Leo called it for 3 seconds with Calypso before he got to share a full on passionate kiss (Again Leo's phrase, not his) with Annabeth. He remembered wanting more from it but then Rachel walked in and it felt like everything crashed around him.

"These group things never really work out well for us, huh" he said in attempt to lighten the mood

"At least you followed me out this time" she smirked but he also knew that part of it wasn't a joke. Whenever something had happened between Annabeth and himself, Rachel was always in the firing line and when he had to ease someone's pain, he'd choose Rachel. Looking back, he'd guess it's because he knew he was in the wrong and didn't want her to think he didn't care about her because he did. He'd always been torn apart because his heart would tell him to make sure Annabeth was ok where as his head would want to reassure Rachel. Now both of them were in sync and it was all about Annabeth.

"I'm never not chasing you again Wise girl" he produced his troublemaker smile that he knew Annabeth loved. She smiled at that and he knew that they were going to be ok.

* * *

 **I hope to update next Friday... if I get over my excitement!**


	8. Chapter 8- Calm before the storm

**Bare with me guys, we'll be getting to the juicy chapters real soon... I hope!**

 **LillillyM- Glad youre enjoying it and you're as excited as I am about the disney series!**

* * *

And for a while, everything was ok. They walked back inside and into the black room, hand in hand and continued to play the game like nothing had happened. Piper kept giving the Percy the odd glare as if to say hurt Annabeth again and you're dead. He was glad Piper was so fiercely protective of Annabeth, it hurt him a little that despite Piper and him being best friends longer, that she'd automatically take Annabeth's side but he also knew he could rely on Piper to give the best advice, especially if Annabeth had any concerns that she felt she couldn't share with him. The next time Piper glared, he gave a gentle smile back and by the look on Piper's face, she wasn't sure what that meant. Percy got on with the game, knowing Annabeth would probably confide in Piper later that evening.

Percy decided not to drink anymore, he wasn't really in the mood but that didn't stop anyone else. He'd lost count of how many times he'd seen Leo get up and go get a drink. The girls had all huddled together now and were giggling to themselves which didn't fill Percy with confidence. He watched Jason try and balance the cup on his head and Frank was trying to count to 100 in french. He looked around at his friends in amusement, did they always get like this when they were drunk? Percy decided they should probably call it a night and managed to get everyone to their feet. He made everyone pair up with their roomie apart from Hazel and Calypso who just ended up going together because there was no way he was doing multiple trips trying to get them all to their room. Percy grabbed Leo's shoulder and directed the way, he glanced over his shoulder to see everyone else leaning on each other for support. Eventually they got to the point where the boys and girls had to go their separate way, he felt like he was the 7th wheel, they were all getting emotional saying goodbye and he just stood there tapping his foot and rolling his eyes. Next time he was definitely drinking, he wasn't going to be the carer of the group again. He gave Annabeth a sly smile which she returned whilst they had kind of fixed things and carried on like nothing had happened, he didn't want to push his luck too soon. Eventually they all separated and made their way towards their own rooms, he pushed Leo on the bed and he collapsed on his own. What a long night it had been.

Percy woke up to knocking on the door and watched as Leo stumbled over to open it. It was Calypso and she had 2 smoothies in her hands. "Didn't see you at breakfast so I thought I'd bring you something"

Leo kissed her on the cheek "You're an actual angel, thank you"

Calypso backed away slightly, her nose turned up and she looked like she wanted to throw up and held the smoothies out with her arms fully extended "Here take these. You stink so I'll just see you tomorrow" Leo gracefully accepted the smoothies and chuckled as Calypso ran down the corridor. Percy reached over and gulped his down within seconds. He didn't feel anywhere near as bad as Leo but he felt like it was definitely a bed day. He grabbed his phone to see a text from Annabeth _Feel like crap, won't be leaving my bed all day xx_ he smiled and replied _Haha ok, think it's gonna be like that all around the group, I'll see you in the morning for breakfast xx_

He pressed send and hesitated and then wrote another text _We're going to be ok right? Xx_

He watched as the little ... bubble kept appearing and disappearing but then he received a reply _Of course Seaweed brain xx_

He didn't realise how bad he needed her to confirm it. He knew they would be ok but it was nice to have reassurance that she felt so too. He looked at his message inbox and saw that he'd never replied to Rachel. He sent a text apologising for not replying and explained he'd got carried away at the groups game night. He saw that she read it not long after he hit send but he didn't get a response.

* * *

The rest of the week everyone acted like nothing had happened, they were smiling, laughing and Annabeth and him were back to kissing just like normal but Percy still hadn't heard anything from Rachel.

Then Friday the 9th of February happened. Percy had possibly made a huge mistake but couldn't figure a way out without hurting peoples feelings. He had his first swim meet of the year on Saturday and he'd asked the group to watch. To others he understood this wasn't a big deal, it was usual to have your friends come and support you especially at school events but Percy had always been too nervous and had asked his friends to stay away. He'd never made a big deal of it and neither did his friends, in the evening when he joined them again they'd ask how it went, he'd tell them and that was that. The only person he'd let watch him was Rachel and that was because she'd ignored him and snuck into the stands about a year ago, before they were even together. He remembered standing by the pool getting ready to take his position but out of the corner of his eye, he spotted that fiery red hair and knew it was Rachel. That competition, he broke the school record and got his new personal best time so he decided it wouldn't do any harm in letting her continue to support him. That was also the day he'd decided that maybe he should give Rachel a chance, maybe they should get to know each other a bit better and hang out more. The others kind of clocked on that Rachel was watching and supporting him but never said anything about it, almost like it was a silent secret that they all shared. That this had become Rachel and his thing. He figured seeing as Rachel was no longer here, maybe he should have all his friends there cheering him on. He'd never been able to match that competition, he'd never been faster than that day so maybe he needed a new good luck charm.

That should have been sign number 1 that in fact, thing we're not going to be fine because when he asked, everyone was ecstatic apart from Annabeth. He'd asked them all as they finished dinner as they sat on their bench. At first he was nervous but seeing how happy it made them, made him smile. Then he'd caught sight of Annabeth, she tried to be as excited as the others but Percy could tell she didn't mean it. He wanted to talk to her about it but got sidetracked when Leo tried to come up with a chant they could all shout. "There will be no chanting" he announced

"But I've already got one... listen to this" Leo got out of his seat, stood a couple of steps away so everyone could see him and cleared his throat "Percy's our great swimmer" Then Leo stomped his feet on the ground like a mad man *stomp stomp stomp* "shows no mercy, he's the winner" *stomp stomp stomp* then he looked at Percy and performed jazz hands to signal the end of his chant. Percy just turned back in his seat to face his friends "No chanting"

"Fine" Leo muttered as he walked back and slipped back into his spot "I'll get it as a banner or something"

Percy pretended not to hear him.

* * *

Percy went to bed thinking Leo and his enthusiasm was going to be his biggest worry. Percy laid in his bed, staring at the ceiling unable to sleep, he tossed and turned but nothing changed. Percy decided to slip on some joggers and slipped his phone in his pocket. He crept out into the darkness, the corridors were pitch black and silent and if he hadn't done it 100 times before he might have been worried but instead he found it soothing, sometimes he liked the calm. He headed downstairs to the common room, it was empty and he released a sigh of relief, the last thing he wanted was to see someone and make conversation. Percy needed something to distract him. He used the torch on his phone to direct him to the nearest lamp and turned it on. He spotted the pool table and decided that would be the perfect distraction. He got the black triangle out of the bottom and put all the balls in place. He gently lifted the triangle off and smiled to himself. Percy grabbed a cue and lined himself up for the shot, when he was ready he pulled it back and shot it forward. The white ball collided with the others, in the silence it made a loud crack noise and Percy wished he was powerful enough to make it sound like a thunder clap but it was a good enough shot to send the other balls spinning in different directions, 2 even made it down the pocket. He felt the tension release in his shoulders as he walked round eyeing up his next shot and the relaxation continued with every shot.

Once he'd pocketed all the balls he put the cue back and slumped on the sofa. That had felt good but he still felt a little restless, he couldn't return to his room yet. He pulled his phone out and started flicking through the photos, he smiled at the selfie of him and Annabeth. She had her hair pulled back into a ponytail and he was kissing her on the cheek. They had trees surrounding them and the sun was shining between the branches. Annabeth had a beaming smile and a glisten in her eye. Percy loved that photo but Annabeth wasn't keen, he wasn't sure why because she looked amazing, her skin was practically glowing. He swiped to the next lot of images to see photos from New Years Eve. Most of them were group shots or mug shots of Leo. Whenever anyone tried to take a photo of Leo, he pulled a silly face. Percy joked with him once about why he wouldn't take a serious one and Leo's words had stuck with him "Better to look ugly on purpose than by accident". Percy knew that Leo had always been a bit self conscious about his looks but he didn't realise that Leo felt like he couldn't smile. He smiled as he swiped through all his silly photos then he came across the group photo. Percy liked it so much he thought about getting it printed on something. It was of the 7 them, Frank, Hazel, Jason, Piper, Leo, Annabeth and him standing side by side with their arms wrapped round the back of one another. The guys all had their arms spread out across their shoulders reaching for each other whilst the girls arms were lower and would be wrapped round a hip of the person either side of them. They hadn't intended to stand boy girl boy girl but that's naturally the pose they opted for. This one was even more special because it was just after Leo had asked out Calypso, he didn't pull a funny face and how could he? The guy was buzzing!

Percy kept swiping through the photos, coming across the odd selfie with Rachel when he reached the last photos on his camera roll. It was loads of photos of the scenery of Hoover Dam. Then he'd taken the odd photo of his friends individually, they were goofing around and he snapped the photo. There was a name for it that Rachel had called them when he showed her the photos. There was one of Grover looking off in the distance as he leant over the railings of the dam. He wore that goofy orange top that he loved.

The next one was of Thalia who was the other side of the walk way storming her way over to him, she'd threaten to beat him up if he took any more photos of her. Once he showed her the photo, she had a change of heart. She looked great with her black leather jacket blowing off her back slightly as the wind got underneath it, her jet black her swished to one side and the heavy eyeliner on her eyes making her eyes pop. He remembered Thalia slapping him on the shoulder and then muttering "Send it to me" and later she made it her profile photo on Facebook. He chuckled at the fond memory. God he wished Thalia would wake up soon, she'd love Annabeth and she'd murder him for what happened last year with the girls. Thalia wouldn't have stood for it. Piper had tried to talk some sense into him but she went about it too sweetly and innocently, she didn't want to push him which he was grateful for but maybe he needed someone to shake him like a rag doll once in a while.

Percy's heart stopped at the next photo. It was a photo of Rachel mid laugh. A candid photo, that was what Rachel had called them. Her red-hot hair flowing behind her and her head titled back looking up in the sky. The sun was shining down on her making her look like she had a bit more colour in her face than she actually did. Her cheeks were perfectly rosy. Her eyes were squeezed shut and her mouth wide open with her white teething shining out of them. He looked at it fondly, he couldn't remember what they'd been talking about but she had clearly found it hysterical. He'd probably said something stupid That photo had been his phone's background until she left. It had been his favourite photo, maybe it still was.

He exited out of the photos and glanced at the time 23:56. Percy knew he shouldn't but he found himself doing it anyway, he got his contact list up and called Rachel. It rang and rang and rang "Percy?" A soft sleepy voice answered

"Oh I've woken you up haven't I? Sorry just go back to sleep" he whispered. He heard her shift so he could only assume she'd sat up in her bed

"No it's ok, you rang for a reason... is everything ok?" She sounded concerned

He waited for a second "I've got my first swim of the year tomorrow" he tried to say it casually

"You nervous?" She asked

"When am I not nervous?" He answered with a smirk and he heard her stifle a laugh. It made his throat go dry and he was sweating more than usual.

"You'll do great" she said reassuringly "I've seen you swim, you're pretty good"

"Only pretty good?" He questioned playfully

"Well I thought amazing might be a step too far"

"Yeah you're right, can't have my ego getting any bigger" he stated sarcastically. He heard a small "ha" at the other end of the phone. Not quite that contagious laugh he missed but he'd take what he could get.

"I'm actually more nervous for another reason" he paused for a second, took a deep breath "I've asked the others to come and watch me"

She stayed silent but he could hear her slow breaths and he immediately regretted telling her.

"Well I guess you needed another good luck charm" Rachel finally spoke but Percy couldn't grasp her tone, it was withdrawn as if she was forcing the words out but she sounded sincere at the same time. He felt the desperate need to change the subject.

"I was looking at our Hoover Dam photos... feels like so long ago now"

"Really? I still remember it like it was yesterday" Rachel answered warmly "Thalia was too scared to look over the edge"

"I mean it is pretty high" he scrunched his face up as he remembered looking over the edge. He felt like maybe this was how giraffes felt looking down at an ant. The bottom looked so far away that he was sure that if he fell over, no one would hear his screams let alone the splash of him landing in the water. He'd wanted to be sick but he didn't want to embarrass himself in front of the others so held it together.

"726 feet to be exact"

"Why do we measure in feet?" Percy pondered "Because if I walked up the side of that damn it's more than 726 feet placed in front of one another"

"Guess it depends on the size of the feet being used"

"Maybe that's why big foot disappeared, was getting tied of measuring things" Percy muttered and he heard Rachel laugh. The type of laugh that would leave your belly hurting and he imagined she looked just like she did in the photo. He smiled knowing he'd got to hear that laugh again. A comfortable silence settled between them for a few minutes before Rachel said

"Look I better get back to sleep but I'll be thinking of you Percy, let me know how it goes"

"Of course I will... err have a good night sleep"

"You too" and with that she hung up.

He sat there for a second, feeling more peaceful than he did before he came down.

He went back to his room to get some sleep, ready to tackle the day ahead of him.


	9. Chapter 9- Just Keep Swimming

**Hope this chapter helps you find a little bit of escape from the nightmare we are all living in!**

 **Be safe x**

* * *

Percy woke with a start. His alarm blaring and he immediately turned it off. He stared at the ceiling for a couple of seconds and took a deep breath. Today would be fine, he just needed to focus and shake off those morning nerves, those were something he always had on the morning of a competition... right? Percy got up, he could see Leo starting to stir but decided to throw on some joggers and a loose fitted top and head down for breakfast.

He grabbed a bowl of cereal and went and sat down. Luckily there weren't many people up at 7am on Saturday so he managed to find a seat quite easily in the corner of the cafeteria. Just do what you normally do, don't worry about whose in the crowds and focus on the water, those were the words of encouragement he kept telling himself. He'd almost finished his Cheerios but he had a few left floating in the milk, he found himself pushing them around with his spoon lost in thought when he felt a gentle squeeze on his shoulders. He jumped slightly and watched as a body then walked beside him and took the seat opposite. Annabeth had put her hair up in a high ponytail and was wearing a baby blue top and some denim shorts. "Morning seaweed brain" she smiled at him before taking a bite of her croissant and just like that, his nerves melted away. As he watched her tucking into her breakfast, he couldn't believe he'd ever been nervous. This amazing human was supporting him and that was enough to make him believe he could do anything.

"Morning Wise girl" he smiled back.

"What's next on your routine?" She asked

"My routine?" He questioned

"Yeah you know like before you go off to swim. What do you do to get you in the zone?" Annabeth said casually before taking another bite.

He'd never really thought about it before let alone been asked. He just ate breakfast, usually alone mind you, grabbed his headphones and went for a light jog to get his muscles warmed up and took a quick dip into the pool so it wasn't a massive shock when his body got in.

"Errr just go warm up really. A light jog and then a dip in the pool"

Annabeth nodded approvingly, like it was a great plan. Wait... had she woken up early to help him? He looked at her with unease in his eyes, he wasn't sure how he felt about that. Part of him was flattered, he didn't know anyone that would go to that length to help him but the other part of him wanted to be alone, wanted to say that only he could get himself in the zone. Annabeth finished her breakfast and looked back at him, her eyes studied him and then seemingly figured out what he needed to hear, she was good at that.

"It's ok, I know you do that stuff alone, I just thought maybe some company for breakfast would be nice" Annabeth expressed respectfully

"Thank you, it was nice to share the table with someone for once and you've helped take away some of my nerves"

Her ears seemed to perk up at that comment and she could see in her eyes the relief to here that she had helped a bit. She stood up then made her way toward him and gave him a kiss on the top of his head "Good luck and I'll see you afterwards ok?"

He nodded and then slipped his hands into hers "Can you do me a favour?" Her eyebrows raised expecting him to continue "Can you wear-?"

She interrupted with a light laugh "Don't worry, I'm going to find all the blue things I can and put them on" she winked and released her hand from his head and walked out of the cafeteria.

Percy did his light jog and had a quick dip in the pool before the other schools arrived. Once he was out, he found himself sitting in the changing rooms, psyching himself up and making sure his hat was on ok. He watched as others did the same. Percy always found this the hardest part, waiting around for his race. He just wanted to get on with it. Eventually the competition started and Percy made his way out to the pool, he looked around and could see the seating area was packed, kids from other schools seemed to blend in and he couldn't tell anyone apart at a glance. Percy sat on the bench that was positioned on the opposite side of the room to the entrance of the changing rooms, it was just below the seating area with a couple of the other kids from his school that were getting ready to swim. Luckily the room was big enough to host the other 5 schools and their swim teams on the other benches too. Up first was the girls 25m backstroke and Zoe Nightshade was representing their school. The girls took their position, placed their goggles over their eyes and waited for the horn. The room was silent and then the horn went. The girls jumped in and the room was filled with shouts and encouragement. Percy watched on without any cheering as he could see Zoe was in the lead and she never needed encouragement. Sure enough she touched the end of the pool and was a whole body length in front of the other girls. She elegantly looked up and smiled at the crowd above as she knew she'd won.

Up next was the boys 25m backstroke. Then it was the girls 25m breaststroke and then the boys. He hated this, his swim was the 50m breaststroke and it was always nearer the end of the competition. Eventually he heard Mr Chiron announce his swim. He took a deep breath and got up from his seat and made his way over to the edge of his lane. He did a quick scan of the crowd whilst he waited for his competitors to get in position and spotted his group of friends, Annabeth standing out wearing everything blue. They gave him a small wave and he gave them a nod but his eyes couldn't help but scan to the right of them towards the entrance of the stands and could just about make out the red hair and instantly knew it was Rachel. He shook his thoughts, he couldn't let himself get distracted now.

He placed his goggles on and placed his right foot at the front of the block and his left foot towards the back. He crouched his body down and leant forwards slightly and his fingers gripped the edge of the block. He pushed all thoughts out of his mind as he heard Mr Chiron shout "Take your marks" and he tensed his whole body. The room fell silent and Percy swore everyone could hear his heart thumping in his chest. The horn sounded and he thrust his arms backwards and pushed his feet straight with all of his strength before he brought his arms in front of his head and pulled his legs tight together. His body propelled in to the water with everything he had. His face staring down at the floor as he glided along and then he kicked his feet under the water like a dolphin to push him forward further before rising to the top. As he breached the surface, the noise erupted and it echoed around the room. His arms swept wide and once he finished the move his legs would kick narrowly to drive him forward. He'd hold his breath underwater until his shoulders forced his head to break the surface and he'd exhale. He neared the end of the length and prepared himself for the turn. Percy felt a thought creeping into his head as he did, was that Rachel he'd spotted by the corner? What was she doing here? Had the others spotted her? His stomach started doing summersaults at the thought of the chaos that could erupt if they had, Annabeth would think he invited her. Percy touched the wall, rotated his body on its side, tucked his knees in and planted his feet on the wall. He kicked off the wall with a surge of power he didn't know he had and streamlined through the water before breaking and he started performing the stroke again. He could hear the crowd getting louder and it fuelled his motivation. He was a few strokes away now and it dawned on him that a fellow competitor was at the same position, they were competing neck and neck. The crowd roared and Percy used all his strength in the last few strokes to thrust himself ahead. He stretched his hand out and touched the edge of the pool, he glanced sideways to see his competition do the same but he was slightly behind which meant Percy had won. He looked up at his friends who had big grins on their faces and Annabeth gave him a thumbs up. He felt like he should be happier, he'd won and in front of his friends but he only felt relief. Percy was relieved that despite his clear lack of focus he'd still managed to win. The more he thought about it the angrier he got, he should have won this swim by a body length like Zoe, he was faster than all of these guys but for some reason he'd made it a close finish. He should have done better. He looked up to where he last saw Rachel but she'd disappeared. He climbed out of the pool and shook hands with the other guys before he greeted his swim buddies on the bench who threw a towel at him. He wrapped it round and sat down ready to cheer for the last few races.

Once the last race was over everyone started to clear out, Percy remained on the bench just staring at the pool. He'd do better next time he promised himself, he wouldn't let himself get distracted. He slowly made his way to the changing rooms, allowing everyone else to get ready and leave before he opted to get changed. If he was right, the stands should be empty now but he was hoping one person would still be sitting there. Sure enough he walked out of the changing rooms with his stuff flung over his shoulder to see Rachel sitting there in the middle of the stands, on the opposite side of the room staring down at him.

"You're still here" He shouted and he couldn't hide the smile on his face

"Isn't this our thing?" She yelled back at him "I watch you swim, you win, I'm the last one sat in the stands and you're the last one out of the changing rooms?"

Rachel smirked but as he got closer he noticed she raised her eyebrow at him and made a statement "You got distracted today"

His eyebrows narrowed and the smile vanished, great, let's just dive straight into it he thought.

"My shoulders were a little sore so I couldn't perform like I usually do, had to take it down a notch" he shrugged like it was no big deal. Percy wasn't sure what the reason for the distraction was, he could blame Rachel but he'd looked up and seen Rachel there a hundred time's before and it didn't phase him. This was something he needed to dissect on his own, not a conversation to have with his ex-girlfriend. He walked a little closer so he was just below the stands now, Rachel was wearing a navy blue polkadot dress. It wasn't one Percy recognised but it looked great on her, her red curls wrapped round over her shoulders.

"I don't believe you" Rachel simply said to him and he didn't think he'd ever hear those words come out of her mouth let alone imagine that this would be the situation they'd be directed at him for. He wasn't sure how she expected him to respond but he did the only thing he knew how to do, he deflected.

"What are you doing here anyway?" He asked curiously

She studied him for a second, she knew all his tricks and he hoped she'd let this go. Thankfully she did, with a sigh "You sounded really nervous last night and I was worried so I thought I'd come and support you"

"Thanks Rachel, I really appreciate that" and he hoped that came across sincerely "I hope I can do the same for you one day"

"It was nice to come back you know, even if just for a little bit" Rachel said as she glanced around, Percy thought her eyes looked a little sad as she said it, despite the small smile on her face.

"Well everyone misses you and the place isn't the same without you" Percy said in good faith, he certainly felt that way.

They shared a look before she quickly redirected her eyes to the side of her. Silence filled the room but it seemed like they were too busy taking in each other's presence to really notice. He still couldn't believe she was here. Her appearance had changed slightly though, he'd always known her to be a slim girl with frizzy red hair but now her hair was straightened, her freckled face was covered in make up but those deep soulful green eyes were still the same.

"We've had some good memories here Percy" Rachel said, suddenly interrupting his thoughts

"We certainly have" he thought with a smirk knowing exactly which time was his favourite and by the look of her flustered face, it was her favourite time too. There was an awkward cough that sounded like it came from somewhere at the back of the room, Percy looked up at Rachel whose eyes were fixed on something behind him. Percy whizzed round to see that the cough belonged to Jason who was standing awkwardly in the doorway that led to the corridor

"Hey man errr everyone's waiting for you... hey Rach" Jason looked like he wanted the ground to swallow him up whole.

"Looks like you're a wanted man" Rachel said with a smile and she gave a little wave to Jason which he politely returned.

"Why don't you join us for a bit?" Percy pleaded

"No it's ok I should really get back" Rachel announced as she stood up

"It was nice to see you in action again Perc... nice to see you too Jason" she shouted across and Jason had never looked more awkward, he stood there fiddling with the frame and his eyes looked up at the ceiling. Percy rolled his eyes and turned his attention back to Rachel but she'd already snuck out.

Percy started walking towards Jason and that seemed to make him remember that he was a human and not a statue. "So I'm guessing you don't want me to mention this to Annabeth either" Jasom queried

"I'd rather you didn't" Percy muttered

"You know you can talk to me right? About anything you're going through, any doubts you're having" his tone was serious

"Doubts? What would I be having doubts about?"

Percy's eyes met Jason's "You think I'm having doubts about being with Annabeth?" Jason was silent and that was all Percy needed for confirmation. Percy got defensive and if he were a dog, his heckles would be sky high. "Look just mind your own business Grace, I don't need you looking out for me or trying to protect me or whatever the hell you think it is you're doing" Percy shoved into Jason as he walked past him and out into the corridor. A few people were shouting at him as he walked past "Nice race" "Well done Percy" "Congrats" and he felt like the corridor was closing in on him and all he wanted to do was scream. He picked up the pace and before he knew it he sprinted out of the school grounds, not caring where he ended up.


End file.
